A master list of screen-free things to do with Jethro V, Kenny, and the baby brother arriving in February. Filter by who's there, how much time you have, and what you want to build. Each activity is tagged with the DRDP domains it exercises and the relationship move it makes.
Jethro V, 9Kenny, 5Baby brother, due Feb 2027
A starting rhythm
A list only helps when some of it becomes routine. This is a first draft built from the list. Adjust it to the days the boys are with you, which is one of the missing pieces.
Every day you have them
Small and steady
Kenny's Special Time, 10 min
Read-Aloud a Notch Up with Jethro V
Rose, Thorn, Bud Dinner (no devices, adults included)
Three Good Things and One Question
Every week
One of each
One one-on-one per boy (Snack Run, Chess with Dad, Pancake Measuring)
One outside block (Hike with a Mission, Nature Bingo, Bike Course)
One family game or kitchen night
One Brothers' Secret Mission
Notebook swap, twice
Every month
Bigger moments
Monthly Dad Date with each boy
Kid-Planned Saturday (boys alternate)
Midgett Story Night
One extended-family day with Lolo, Lola, cousins, or aunts
Handoff days
Low demand on purpose
Handoff Landing Routine
Kenny's Transition Busy Box in the car
Animal Walk Deck to get in the door
Save big outings for the next day
Seasons ahead
Nov to Jan
Before the baby
Big Brother Job Description
Kenny's Middle Brother Promotion
Build the Baby a Gift
The Day Our Brother Was Born, part one
Parol Lantern Making with Lola (December)
Feb to May 2027
Newborn season
Expect less energy and shrink activities, but keep each boy's one-on-one slot
Talk Coaches, Tummy Time Cheer Squad, Baby's First Library
Lean on low-prep ideas: car games, Forever Puzzle, Invitation Tray
Ask family to take the boys on outings, not only to help with the baby
Spring and summer
Outside again
Lolo's Garden Box and Weather Station
Strawberry picking, tide pools, Backyard Campout
Kenny's CDC graduation in June: let him plan the celebration
Cousin Olympics
What would make this list better for the boys
You asked what's missing. These are the questions that would turn a good list into a plan that fits each boy. The first four matter most.
How the list is built
DRDP domains (the tags on each card)
The Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP 2025) is California's observation tool for children from birth through kindergarten. Kenny is in the Preschool/TK/K view, and the baby will be in the Infant/Toddler view. Each activity is tagged with the domains it gives practice in. This is practice, not assessment.
The DRDP stops at kindergarten. It does not cover Jethro V at 9. For him the list uses his third grade standards (reading fluency, spelling, multiplication, fractions) plus the relationship tags below.
Relationship moves (the dashed tags)
Each activity is labeled with one of the five elements of Search Institute's Developmental Relationships Framework. It covers every age, including the parent side of the relationship, which is why it works for all three boys.
Research the list leans on
Replace screens instead of only cutting them. The AAP's 2026 policy statement on children's digital ecosystems moves away from fixed minute limits. It recommends a family media plan made together, device-free meals, parents modeling, and offering other activities. EdSurge summary · AAP Family Media Plan tool
Serve and return. Back-and-forth exchanges between babies and the people who care for them build early brain architecture. Older siblings can be part of this. Harvard Center on the Developing Child
Executive function games. Freeze dance, Simon Says with rule switches, and similar games give practice in impulse control and working memory. The Harvard Center publishes activity guides by age.
Child-directed play (PRIDE). These skills come from Parent-Child Interaction Therapy, one of the best-studied parent programs for young children. PCIT International
Dialogic reading. In Whitehurst's PEER method, the adult asks and expands while the child tells the story. It shows reliable gains in preschool vocabulary.
Green time and attention. Faber Taylor and Kuo (2009) found children with attention difficulties concentrated better after a walk in a park than after a walk in town.
Rough-and-tumble play with fathers. Studies link energetic play with clear limits to children's self-regulation. The rules are what make it work.
Preparing siblings. Older children adjust better when they have a meaningful role and their own time with the parent stays protected. Turning them into helpers who parent the baby works against this.
Developmental Relationships Framework. Express care, challenge growth, provide support, share power, expand possibilities. Search Institute